The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-11-11
BLOOD-SUCKERS.

Curse to the COMMUNICATE Evil Tree,
the Fruits of Which Are Only Evil.
The leech is only valuable in medical
practice because of his peculiar excel
lence as a blood-sucker When any
part of the body is suffering from en-
gorgement, and leech is applied, the
disgusting little animal fastens himself
firmly to the flesh and sucks until he is
filled with blood. There is q striking
similarity between the leech and the
saloon. Both are unexcelled blood
suckers. The one depletes the circu-
lation in the body, the other the mon
etary circulation. The only particu-
lar difference is, that the leech drops
off when he is filled with blood, but
the saloon does not. Let it get it's
clutches upon man, and it never lets
60 its hold until the man is dead or is
beggared.
AS the leech depletes the circulation
of the patient, so does the saloon de-
plete the amount of money in circula-
ton in community. It is not only a
moral curse to the city, or town OF
hamlet in which it established, but it is
business curse. 1t decreases the to-
tai amount of money in circulation,
reduces the business done by every es-
Enlistment engaged in legitimate
trade, and draws the money from that
locality, making the total amount in
circulation therein much less Look
at it a moment What part of the
money which is paid in over the
bar goes out again into circulation
in the town? Just enough to sup
port the saloonist and his family.
The remainder, less the saloonist's net
profit, goes to the distillers and brew
ers. Beyond the small proportion of
the total income, which goes for his
support, not dollar of 1t goes into
general circulation in the town, to
build up trade, to employ labor, OF in
any other way to add to the wealth
and prosperity of the community.
The money is paid over the bar and
no equivalent is rendered The rum
ruins health destroys talent, fosters
idleness and vice, and there is no
tangible good resulting from it. The
man who spends the money would be
better off if he got absolutely nothing
in return for his cash than the Internal
swill which he pours down his throat
to imbrute him. Suppose that the
whole OF his money were spent in the
erection OF new homes each year. The
major part of it would still be circu-
lating from hand to hand for it would
be paid out for brick and stone, for
lumber, for carpenters, masons, plast-
erers, roofers, painters, GLACIERS, paper
hangers, etc. it would be kept in the
town, kept circulating, and at the same
time the valuation of real-estate would
be enhanced by thousands of dollars
worth of letterments. The money
would have gone back into the hands
of the laborins men of the place. Con-
trast this with the money when it is
paid over the counter of the saloon.
1t has added nothing to the wealth,
comfort or well-being of the unfortun-
ate men who spent it, but the contrary;
it has added no new value to the town
it has not increased the improvements
10 the city, nor has it gone back into
the local chaaaels o. trade, beyond the
sum required for the support of those
who sell the liquors. The greater por-
ton has gone to swell the purse of the
Rum Power, and the only thing it has
done for the community is to increase
the amount of poverty, woe, wretched-
ness and vice.
1t is plain to any one who gives a
moments thought to the matter that
the saloons are veritable money-leeches.
They suck the money of the laboring
men to whom they give no equivalent,
take it out of the business of the COM
munity and send it away to the distil-
lers, leaving the town or city the poor
er by that amount-both in the ready
money and in the real values which
that money represents. This is not
the case with the men engaged in le-
Ultimate business. For every dollar
the latter receive they give an equiv
alent in goods, or something else as
tangible. The men who have paid this
money hold in their hands property
equal to the amount which they have
paid out. The business men put the
money they had received into circuIa-
ton again for the employment of